Vinesse Today

The Art of the Label

By Robert Johnson, Editor

I had a little spare time over the weekend—something that never happens—and I found myself leafing through various volumes in my wine library.

I ended up spending a good two hours with “The Art and Design of Contemporary Wine Labels,” compiled and written by Tanya Scholes. I’ve always been fascinated with label design, and Scholes’ book tells the “inside stories” of how some of the wine world’s most iconic labels came to be.

I could tell you more about the book, but I could do no better than the summary found on Amazon.com, which you can read here.

Yes, many wine label designs are all about marketing. But some emphasize the art over all else (except the wine, of course), and are absolutely art gallery-worthy. Here are three of my favorites:

Taittinger:Click here for a look at Taittinger’s Millennium Cuvee, a Brut Champagne from the 2000 vintage.

Eric Kent Wines: Every bottle from this Sonoma County-based producer gets the “art treatment,” and you can view a gallery of the labels here.

Kenwood Vineyards: I’ve been collecting Kenwood Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon for years. Today, I have a few empty bottles on my wine rack, a few not-yet-opened bottles in the same place, and an array of framed Artist Series posters and actual labels on my living room wall. Click here for a look at one of my favorite labels in the series, and be sure to click on the bottle within the press release for a closer look.

COMING SOON

JOIN EK ALLOCATION LIST

Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall.Join EK Allocation List

CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS

You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–6 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines may have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above.Join EK Allocation List

REORDERS

Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.

JOIN EK ALLOCATION LIST

Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall.Join EK Allocation List

CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS

You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–6 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines may have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above.Join EK Allocation List

REORDERS

Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.